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Sunday 22 January 2012

A 'must have' book!

Whilst doing our weekly shopping at the local shopping centre I happened to have a few spare minutes and was able to pay a visit to Waterstone's bookshop. As I was glancing along the shelves I saw a copy of a newly published book that I just had to buy!


NAVAL WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR ONE: GUNS, TORPEDOES, MINES AND ASW WEAPONS OF ALL NATIONS: AN ILLUSTRATED DIRECTORY was written by Norman Friedman and published by Seaforth Publishing late last year (ISBN 978 1 84832 100 7). The text is divided into four parts:
  • Part 1: Guns
  • Part 2: Torpedoes
  • Part 3: Mines
  • Part 4: ASW Weapons
Each of the parts have sections that deal with the weapons produced the major arms-producing nations including Britain, Germany, United States, France, Italy, Russian, Japan, Austria, Spain, and Sweden. The book is very well illustrated with lots of contemporary photographs and plan drawings. It also contains the main technical details and a description of the service use of the majority of the weapons featured in the book.

I already own a copy of NAVAL WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR TWO by John Campbell (Published by Conway Maritime Press Ltd), and Norman Friedman's new book compliments it as well as enhancing my collection of warship-related books.

It was a 'must have' purchase ... and I am very glad that I bought it!

6 comments:

  1. Hi Bob,

    There goes my budget for the month! That looks really good and I shall have get one without a doubt!

    All the best,

    DC

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  2. David Crook,

    I had not realised that the book had been published until I saw it on the shelf in Waterstone's ... and I just had to have it!

    I hope you enjoy your copy when you buy it.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the post, Bob. Sounds like a great book. I'm somewhat envious of a country where you can still walk into a good bookstore. Outside of the largest cities or perhaps college towns, they're extinct in the US.

    Regards,
    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  4. Corporal_Trim (Steve),

    It is a great book, and I am very glad that I bought it when I saw it.

    I'd love to be able to agree with you regarding bookshops ... but in the UK the situation is getting very similar to what you describe. Even bookshops in quite large towns carry little stock other than obvious 'blockbusters' and pot-boilers. Specialist bookshops (or run-of-the-mill bookshops that carry a range of specialist books like this) are very few and far between.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bob,

    Yes, corporate consolidation has nearly killed them off. And I do love Amazon for the utility of a nearly limitless inventory at your fingertips, but there are also times when it's good to be able to explore the aisles and browse.

    Can't even find a mediocre shopping mall bookstore anymore to pass the time while my wife shops, they've all vanished. LOL, I bring my Kindle and read it instead.

    Regards,
    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  6. Corporal_Trim (Steve),

    You are absolutely right about the demise of bookshops, even in half-decent shopping centres. My local Waterstone's does have the odd book that I will buy (like this one), but far too often I have to rely on Amazon because they have the stock and at a very competitive price.

    I am very lucky in having a specialist second-hand bookshop less than three miles from where I live. FALCONWOOD TRANSPORT & MILITARY BOOKSHOP is well worth a visit if you are ever in South East London, although they also sell books on eBay as well (here) and can be contacted by 'phone and/or email.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete

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